Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; [8] for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV
Train myself for godliness… I find myself at odds with this passage at most times in my heart. Not that I don’t believe it’s true and not that I don’t think it’s important in my life. I find the problem to be that I forget the importance of training for godliness. I neglect my training and discipline by letting my times of discipline become rote and mundane. I turn my training into half-hearted tick boxes to make myself feel like I am training for godliness, when all the while I am just going through the motions to make myself feel better. To appease my desire for godliness. Yet, I walk away throughout the day with scarcely a thought from my meditation and reading. Even worse, I let my flesh immediately speak into and over what I just learned about myself and God.
I need to approach this passage in the spirit that Paul was intending. My training for godliness should be a passion that informs all of my life. I think of athletes today that have dedicated their entire life to a sport. They train all day every day. They perform the same drills over and over again. They take care of their bodies and ensure they eat the right food to enhance performance. They do all of this to prepare for the match. So when they are on the field and competing their trained muscle memory will take over and perform as expected at a high level. And they do this all for money, fame, prestige, and to be remembered.
How much more valuable is the training Paul is talking about here? It is immense. The training for godliness mentioned here is not some fleeting praise from man. No, this training is in anticipation of reaching heaven and hearing my Father say, “Well done.” This training in godliness provides benefit in this life as it allows me to grow and mature in the faith. It allows me to draw closer to Christ and be more intimate with him. It allows me to demonstrate and express my life and thankfulness to him. It allows me to show the world the love of Christ.
This training needs to be all consuming. It’s not just a tick box to check off every day so I can then go about my day as I please. No, this training is my day. For I’m not just training and preparing in this process, I am spending time before the face of God. I am leaning my head against the chest of Jesus. I am immersing my whole self in the glory of God. This relationship is THE relationship. Training for righteousness simply means, developing and deepening an intimate relationship with Jesus. He is all I will ever need in this life. He is the one that I desire. Spending time in his presence is the ultimate. So I need to not only spend time with him, but be fully present in that moment. Fully present with him in all moments. Walking hand in hand with my savior King on this journey home.
Journal Entry // October 09, 2021